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The UEFA Europa League returns with a fresh set of fixtures as Celtic and Braga go head-to-head at Celtic Park on Thursday. This will be the first meeting since their tie in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers back in 2010, when both teams picked up one win each in the two-legged encounter.
Celtic were guilty of a wasteful display in front of goal last Sunday when they fluffed several clear-cut chances to settle for a goalless draw against Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.
Despite the disappointing result, Brendan Rodgers’ men remain unbeaten in 10 of their 11 matches this term, claiming six wins and four draws, including a 1-1 stalemate against Red Star Belgrade in their Europa League opener on September 24.
Celtic’s only loss this season came on August 26, when they were beaten on penalties by Kairat Almaty in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff clash, a result which saw the Kazakhstan outfit secure a first-ever qualification to the UCL.
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Over in Portugal, Braga continue to struggle for results in the new Primeira Liga campaign as they fell to a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Nacional last Sunday.
Since kicking off the new league term with consecutive victories over newcomers Tomdela and Alverca, Carlos Vicens’ men have failed to taste victory in their subsequent five matches, losing twice and claiming three draws in that time.
While Braga have struggled to hit their stride in the league, they turn their focus to the Europa League, where they kicked off the campaign with an impressive 1-0 victory over Dutch outfit Feyenoord on September 24 courtesy of a second-half strike from Spanish striker Fran Navarro.
Celtic vs Braga Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the third encounter between Celtic and Braga, with both sides picking up one win apiece in their previous two meetings.
- Celtic are on a run of 12 consecutive games without defeat across all competitions, claiming seven wins and five draws since a 5-1 friendly defeat against Ajax in July.
- Braga are unbeaten in their six away matches this season, picking up three wins and three draws while scoring 12 goals and keeping three clean sheets so far.
- Celtic are unbeaten in nine consecutive home games at Celtic Park, claiming six wins and three draws since a 3-2 loss against Rangers on March 16.
Celtic vs Braga Prediction
Having failed to win four of their last five games, Braga will need to be at their best on Thursday as they journey to a hostile Celtic Park, where the hosts have proven tough to beat this year.
That said, we predict Celtic will shake off their poor display against Hibernian and get the job done against Vicens’ men, who have seen their form hit a slight snag of late.
Prediction: Celtic 2-1 Braga
Celtic vs Braga Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Celtic to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have been three or more goals scored in four of Braga’s last five matches)
Tip 3: Over 10.5 corners - No (There have also been fewer than 11 corner kicks in five of the visitors’ last six games)
